A sea of emotions: Vinland Saga is a story of revenge and remorse

Through countless wars of both physical and ego, the story of Vinland Saga emerges. Behind this exceptional story of anguish and war is mangaka Makoto Yukimura, who created not only a believable environment but also the main character by the name of Thorfinn who best represents the realities of war. This refreshing take on a shounen series by Yukimura is precisely why Vinland Saga is one of the best pieces of Japanese media that has come out of recent times, breaking its norms and providing manga readers and anime watchers alike with a gripping narrative. 

You find yourself on the frozen shores of Iceland, in a broken England, diverting itself away from the traditional shounen structure and instead rooting itself in a semi-realistic historical setting that shows the horrors of war through those actively participating in it. 

The anime medium is riddled with a variety of dynamics between multitudes of characters. Whether that be hero versus villain, a friend turned foe, or master and disciple, all of these dynamics have been on display before. How Yukimura approaches the dynamic of his main character and villain in Vinland Saga is not one that has been pursued before in this medium. 

Thorfinn is a young, brash warrior who uses the death of his father as motivation to grow stronger on the battlefield. He is the main character in this story, heading to the call of Askeladd, the man who killed his father, whenever he needs him so one day he will defeat him in a duel. The dynamic between Thorfinn and Askeladd is beautifully written in the most cynical sense. The man that has caused Thorfinn the most pain has essentially taken him under his wing and roosted him into the warrior that he becomes.

With Thorfinn being one of those who know war best, being essentially raised in war, you get to follow him on his journey of revenge and humility. You witness the extremities of war and the suffering it causes, not only to Thorfinn, but to the people he has killed as well. With him following the man that murdered his father, a conflict of interests appears. Askeladd provides the frame of the villain in Thorfinn’s life, juxtaposed to how he ends up raising Thorfinn through the many trials and tribulations he puts him through. 

These two characters alone, with all of their complexities and duality with each other, warrant a 5/5 rating from me. While I was watching the series, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, wondering if Askeladd would be killed or if Thorfinn will lose again. This tension is something that would have never been achieved if it weren’t for the alluring way its characters were portrayed in the story. And because of that, a 5/5 rating is definitely more plausible than not. 

Throughout the 24 episodes of Vinland Saga anime adaptation, one of the most notable things about the anime is how extremely well the story is paced. The timing in which the anime ends perfectly encapsulates the most violent and rage-filled part of Thorfinn’s life. I find myself amazed at the cohesive and timely ending of the anime adaptation. The story of the anime ends on a perfect note, which leads watchers into the story told in the manga. This leaves me to confidently give the pacing of this story a 5/5 rating. It satisfies its anime viewers by ending Thorfinn’s first arc through means that they don’t expect, yet still leaving them yearning for more years after the first season has ended. 

With a company like Studio Wit presenting Vinland Saga, you can bet that the animation will be stellar. Previous studio works have proved their vigor through such series as “Attack on Titan” and “Spy x Family,” showing their ability to work with highly dynamic series and more down-to-earth ones. The setting of Vinland Saga takes place in the 11th century, throughout England’s constant civil wars, invasion from the Danish, etc. The animation and art for the story, for the most part, are rendered and portrayed beautifully through not only its scenery but also choreography. 

The only discrepancy I have for the animation is the use of 3D animation when large-scale battles are being fought. The blend of 3D animation and 2D animation can sometimes be a little disorientating and leave viewers confused about what is happening. It is understandable that 3D animation is used to save time and money, but it leaves some scenes to be confusing for some viewers who dislike this combination of 3D and 2D. 

For me, this would grant Vinland Saga a 4/5 in the animation field. The beautiful scenery mixed in with the well-coordinated fight sequences earns this series a high score, with only some 3D animated parts being a little standoffish. 

The final critique of the series I have is the core aspects presented in the story and how its approached. An ongoing theme of grief, revenge, and humility is persisting for our main character. The cynical cycle of grief, revenge, and humility rinses and repeats itself every time Thorfinn challenges Askeladd to a duel, but is never able to defeat him. 

In the end, after 10 years of not being able to slay him, Askeladd ends up being killed by another. Thorfinn is left with all of those emotions left but no one to pin it on but himself, letting all the humility seep into him. All which Thorfinn had gone through up to this point had pinpointed each of the core aspects of the story beautifully, leading up to his eventual redemption arc which has not been adapted yet. Considering that all of these core aspects of the stories had been used so creatively and effectively in portraying its themes in Thorfinn, I wouldn’t consider giving this part of my critique anything other than a 5/5. 

Overall, I recommend this series wholeheartedly. It brings such a unique story compared to the modern-day landscape of anime and manga. The story is then carried by the stellar animation, story pacing, and themes of the story portrayed. If you’re looking for an introspective action series to watch, this is the one for you, creating moments of both dread and hype respectively. You can find this series most conveniently on Amazon and Netflix, being able to sign up for each respective service and binge to your heart’s content. I find that the price is extremely reasonable for all the content and entertainment that the show provides. It was 100% worth its price.